Written Answers Wednesday 1 June 2005

Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Eleanor Scott (Highlands and Islands) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the single farm payment is being claimed by any farmers based on historical payments for land that they no longer farm and, if so, what the value is of any such claims.

Ross Finnie: : Claimants of the Single Farm Payment must meet the definition in the regulations of being a "farmer". They must have a holding of the minimum size or greater, and undertake an eligible agricultural activity to be eligible for the scheme. To receive payment farmers must match, one-for-one, each of their payment entitlements with an eligible hectare. They are also required to maintain their eligible land in Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition which entails respecting Statutory Management Requirements. We do not maintain records of arrangements entered into by farmers whereby a person or persons other than the farmer are obligated to maintain the land in Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition.

Buildings

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce building construction guidelines which deliver airtightness where there are air changes in a building as a result of passive or mechanical ventilation.

Johann Lamont: I have asked Dr Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency (SBSA), to answer. His response is as follows:

  A Building Standards Advisory Committee working party is presently considering improved guidance on airtightness of buildings. Any new guidance, which would be subject to public consultation, is programmed to come into force in May 2007.

Buildings

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce building construction guidelines which deliver "breathing wall" technology.

Johann Lamont: I have asked Dr Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency (SBSA), to answer. His response is as follows:

  The agency has no plans to introduce specific guidance on this subject.

  However, current guidance offering ways to comply with the mandatory functional standards in the Scottish Building Standards Technical Handbooks does not prohibit the use of breathing wall constructions. Several proprietary products have been granted a British Board of Agrément (BBA) certificate for use in these constructions, and it is the responsibility of verifiers to assess compliance of this technology against the standards.

Care Commission

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-11751 by Rhona Brankin on 9 November 2004, how many cases of assault have been reported to the Care Commission and how many complaints the commission has received since April 2004, broken down by Care Commission region.

Rhona Brankin: In respect of assaults, I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-11751 on 9 November 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

  The total number of complaints in the period April 2004 to March 2005, by Care Commission regional office, was as follows:

  

Care Commission Region 
April 2004 to March 2005 



Central West
429


Central East
297


North
158


South West
294


South East
260


Total
1,438



  Further information on complaints can be obtained from the Care Commission.

Climate Change

Frances Curran (West of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will examine the contribution that its policies on farming and fishing make to greenhouse gas emissions.

Ross Finnie: We are currently evaluating the contribution of all key Executive policies as part of the review for the Scottish Climate Change Programme, including those in the agriculture, forestry and land use sector. These emissions data will be presented in the revised Scottish programme, due for publication later this year. We shall also be setting out later this year the approach we intend to take to ensure the sustainability of Scottish sea fisheries.

Climate Change

Frances Curran (West of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is undertaking to ensure that all levels of central and local government and the Parliament have a key role in developing emissions reduction targets.

Ross Finnie: We are currently engaged in a formal review of our Scottish Climate Change Programme, a key strand of which is to assess the practicability of establishing Scottish climate change targets. In addition to the recent public consultation, we are involving all relevant parts of the Scottish Executive and local government in our consideration of targets, through bilateral contacts and the stakeholder steering group we have established. We called a debate in Parliament on 20 January to allow members to input to discussions and gave evidence to the Environment and Rural Development Committee’s recent climate change inquiry, to which we will respond formally in due course.

Climate Change

Frances Curran (West of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to develop planning across all policy sectors of government with regard to the impact of climate change.

Frances Curran (West of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to develop a detailed route map with a series of benchmarks that will help policy makers, businesses and individuals understand what action is required in the short term with regard to the impact of climate change.

Ross Finnie: We are reviewing our Scottish Climate Change Programme and developing a revised programme that will expand on our existing adaptation response. The revised programme will outline established adaptation measures, those in the pipeline and any to be subjected to further analysis, with the intention of assisting everyone in Scotland prepare for the unavoidable impacts of climate change.

Climate Change

Frances Curran (West of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will commission a comprehensive independent audit of progress under the Scottish Climate Change Programme and, if so, whether that audit will be carried out at the earliest opportunity to form a baseline analysis and repeated every five years thereafter.

Ross Finnie: An independent audit is not considered necessary at this time. We are already engaged in a formal review of our Scottish Climate Change Programme. The review is being conducted in an open and transparent way, involving external stakeholders – through public consultation, a stakeholder steering group and bilateral contacts. As part of the review we are evaluating the impact on greenhouse gas emissions of policies within the existing programme and preparing projections of Scottish emissions to 2020. This will provide a baseline against which future progress can be measured. We are considering carefully, as part of the review, the monitoring and reporting arrangements to be put in place, and will report on this in the revised programme, due for publication later this year.

Climate Change

Frances Curran (West of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will report to the Parliament on an annual basis on progress towards meeting climate change targets.

Ross Finnie: As part of the review of the Scottish Climate Change Programme we are assessing whether specific Scottish climate change targets are a practicable proposition. The findings of our assessment, including any associated monitoring and reporting arrangements, will be set out in the revised Scottish Programme, due for publication later this year.

  Scotland’s contribution to UK climate change targets is currently reported in the annual Greenhouse Gas Inventories for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, copies of which are placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Education

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on the Education Maintenance Allowance since its roll-out in August 2004, including set-up costs, administration costs and student top-up payments, broken down by local authority area.

Mr Jim Wallace: Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) programme costs for the financial year to 30 March 2005 totalled £14.48 million. Cost breakdown as requested is detailed in the table below:

  Education Maintenance Allowances (EMAs) Programme Costs 2004-05 (Financial Year)

  

Local Education Authority
EMA Payments
Bonus Payments
Admin Costs
Total
Set-Up and Admin Costs**


Aberdeen City
154,830
28,800
4,950
188,580
35,000(£10k + £25k)


Aberdeenshire
250,170
34,050
6,180
290,400
35,000


Angus
137,320
24,000
4,320
165,640
35,000


Argyll and Bute
140,060
22,800
4,155
167,015
35,000


Clackmannanshire
75,300
13,500
4,440
93,240
35,000


Dumfries and Galloway
230,780
42,150
7,170
280,100
35,000


Dundee*
521,120
165,900
10,515
697,535
35,000


East Ayrshire*
451,880
139,350
10,530
601,760
35,000


East Dunbartonshire
178,270
31,950
4,740
214,960
35,000


East Lothian
125,560
24,000
3,585
153,145
35,000


East Renfrewshire
164,860
27,900
3,660
196,420
35,000


Edinburgh
395,680
70,350
14,205
480,235
35,000


Falkirk
141,140
24,900
5,130
171,170
35,000


Fife
543,640
87,100
13,725
644,465
35,000


Glasgow*
2,066,732
620,865
38,645
2,726,242
35,000


Highland
337,340
54,450
11,490
403,280
35,000


Inverclyde
163,950
29,400
4,845
198,195
35,000


Midlothian
88,820
16,050
2,685
107,555
35,000


Moray
106,240
19,500
3,450
129,190
35,000


North Ayrshire
259,200
44,400
7,995
311,595
35,000


North Lanarkshire
493,080
79,140
14,685
586,905
35,000


Orkney - Schools
36,930
6,450
1,050
44,430
35,000


Perth and Kinross
151,010
23,400
4,665
179,075
35,000


Renfrewshire
281,050
52,350
9,105
342,505
35,000


Scottish Borders
156,850
25,650
4,740
187,240
35,000


Shetland
23,170
4,350
945
28,465
35,000


South Ayrshire
189,480
34,950
6,300
230,730
35,000


South Lanarkshire
460,800
74,250
12,960
548,010
35,000


Stirling
104,100
16,200
2,820
123,120
35,000


West Dunbartonshire*
431,210
98,400
7,560
537,170
35,000


West Lothian
245,020
33,600
7,095
285,715
35,000


Western Isles
49,410
8,250
1,620
59,280
35,000


sub-total
9,155,002
1,978,405
239,960
11,373,367
1,120,000


SFEFC
2,502,815
533,250
69,990
3,106,055
35,000(£10k + £25k) SFEFC


 
 
 
 
 
546,000
42 x (£5k + £8k) 


Total
11,657,817
251,155
309,950
14,479,422
**1,701,00042 x (£5k + £8k) Colleges



  Notes:

  *Pilot local authority costs run from April 2004 - March 2005.

  All other local authorities (LAs) started from national rollout in August 2005.

  **EMA Set-Up and Administration Costs.

  Admin and Set-Up Costs were accrued to the previous financial year 2003-04.

  Set-up and administration costs were allocated equally to all authorities. A one-off set-up payment of £10,000 and an annual administration payment of £25,000 is paid. SFEFC receive the same as LAs but colleges receive slightly different allowances i.e. £5,000 set-up and £8,000 annual admin.

  To take account of the variation in activity we also provide a "top up" administration payment in February which takes account of the number of students they actually process applications and payments for. This is paid at £15 per EMA student (to both LAs and colleges but obviously not to SFEFC as they do not pay or assess the students).

  By distributing the funds in this way we hope to be fair to small authorities who also have to set up administrative systems to run EMA but still take into account the much larger volumes that authorities such as Glasgow or Edinburgh will process.

  NB Bonus payments only include those paid in January 2005.

Energy Efficiency

Frances Curran (West of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will re-examine the enforcement of conditions set to ensure compliance with energy efficiency standards.

Mr Jim Wallace: Energy efficiency regulation is primarily a reserved matter, with the exception of building regulations. Compliance arrangements for building regulations were comprehensively examined in the recent review of the Scottish building standards system that culminated in the Building (Scotland) Act 2003. The new system has a robust pre-emptive approach to approval of building proposals. There are no immediate plans to review these arrangements.

Energy Efficiency

Frances Curran (West of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will implement the EU Directive on energy performance of buildings in 2006.

Johann Lamont: I have asked Dr Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency (SBSA), to answer. His response is as follows:

  The EU Directive 2002/91/EC on the Energy Performance of Buildings is to be implemented in Scotland by the Scottish Building Standards Agency on behalf of Scottish ministers. The intention is to implement in 2006 but to make use of the derogations permitted by the Directive to phase in energy certification and the inspection of boilers and air-conditioning over three years.

  In relation to energy performance certification, there are insufficient independent experts currently available for the system to be fully in place by January 2006 which is why implementation will be phased. In the interim, priority in Scotland will be given to the certification for display in public buildings, expected in 2006, and roll-out of certification for construction, sale and rental of other buildings which is expected in spring of 2007.

European Union

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on market access to port services, published by the European Commission on 13 October 2004, and what implications it considers there are for the delivery of port services in Scotland.

Nicol Stephen: The UK Government’s position on the Directive is a reserved matter and the responsibility of the Department for Transport. The Scottish Executive will liaise closely with the DfT and the ports industry to ensure that Scottish circumstances are addressed. A number of issues have been identified relating to the Scottish ports industry and we will ensure that these are reflected in the UK Government’s agreed negotiating position.

European Union

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide the Parliament with an opportunity to scrutinise Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on market access to port services, published by the European Commission on 13 October 2004.

Nicol Stephen: It is anticipated that the draft Directive will require lengthy debate during and beyond the forthcoming UK Presidency of the EU, and we will be prepared to consider this suggestion at an appropriate time as the UK Government’s position on the Directive evolves. At present the Executive is liaising closely with the Department for Transport and the ports industry in Scotland to ensure that Scottish circumstances are addressed where appropriate.

Ferry Services

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which companies it has had discussions with regarding the provision of ferry services across the River Forth and what grants it will make available to support such services.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive has discussed the possibility of ferry services across the River Forth with Forth Ports PLC and with Stagecoach. No approach has been received for grant support and it is therefore too early to comment on the availability of grants for such a service.

Football

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been provided for the development of women’s football in each year since 1999; to which organisations such funding has been paid, and through which funding bodies.

Patricia Ferguson: Since 1998-99,  sportscotland has invested in excess of £1 million of Exchequer and Lottery funding for the development of women’s and girls’ football. This is broken down in the following table. In addition, under its new funding arrangements to governing bodies of sport,  sportscotland has committed a further £400,000 towards supporting the Scottish Women’s Football Association’s (SWFA) current four-year development plan.

  Women’s and girls’ football has also benefited from many facility awards and our substantial investment in initiatives such as Active Schools. Implementation of the Action Plan for Youth Football will also deliver a step change in the development of women’s and girls’ football.

  

Year
Exchequer Funds
Lottery Sports Fund


Development Grant Aid1*
Sportsmatch2
Junior Groups1*
Talented Athlete Support3*
National Coach Support(Coach Performance from 2004)1
Awards for All2


1998-99
-
-
-
£45,000
-
-


1999-2000
£18,000
£3,500
-
£66,000
-
£26,372


2000-01
£18,000
0
-
£126,005
-
£10,689


2001-02
£18,000
£3,800
-
£90,978
-
£9,122


2002-03
£18,000
£5,957
£34,350
£54,000
£115,320
£5,667


2003-04
£28,500
£6,291
£25,000
£92,809
-
£18,299


2004-05
£1,800
-
£25,000
-
£9,302


2005 to date
-
-
-
0
£58,864
£12,039



  Notes:

  1. Paid to SWFA via Scottish Football Association (SFA).

  2. Paid to clubs (Note: There will also have been awards made to other projects from which girls and women’s football will have benefited).

  3. Paid to individuals.

  *This now forms part of new integrated annual grant to the SWFA.

Football

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance has been given to the Scottish Women’s Football Association to meet the costs of compliance by clubs and individuals with the requirements of Disclosure Scotland and child protection measures and what further annual or regular assistance will be provided.

Patricia Ferguson: Criminal record checks issued by Disclosure Scotland are free for volunteers working with children. The Executive covers the cost of these checks and in addition core funds the Central Registered Body in Scotland which provides guidance and advice and processes applications for criminal record checks for the voluntary sector. The Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003, which recently came into force, introduced new child protection measures and the Executive funded a support package to help the voluntary sector as a whole comply with the new act.

  Sportscotland, in partnership with CHILDREN 1st, are in the process of appointing a consultant to provide expert hands-on support in the area of child protection to a number of priority governing bodies of sport, i.e. those who are considered to be most in need of assistance in helping to draw up implementation plans on how to roll out their child protection policies. The consultant will review existing child protection policies and practices of those governing bodies and ensure compliance with legislation and best practice, and will generate a robust legacy for the governing bodies by increasing their capacity and intellectual resource to self manage and develop these areas of responsibility in the future. The consultant is due to be appointed by the end of June after which time the priority governing bodies will be identified.

Football

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will assist in providing funding for a block insurance policy for women’s football, including adequate insurance for players against injury and the cost of treatment.

Patricia Ferguson: Sportscotland provide funding for the Scottish women’s A team and Under-19s team who are covered under the athlete support medical scheme for five physiotherapy sessions per year and unlimited operations. This only applies to activities in the UK.

  It is the responsibility of the sport’s governing body, in this case the Scottish Football Association, to provide all other types of insurance to cover its members.

Football

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it requires the provision of changing facilities for women when it provides funding through its agencies to clubs for stadia and other sporting facilities; what separate changing facilities have been provided in each year since 1997 and, if no such facilities exist, whether it will seek to provide them in future.

Patricia Ferguson: One of the criteria to be met when applying for funding from  sportscotland is that the recipient operates an equal opportunities policy.  Sportscotland funded projects, where practicable, provide separate changing facilities for both men and woman or facilities that are suitable for use by either sex. Statistics on the format of changing facilities developed since 1997 are not readily available. Details of provision for any specific club or stadia can be obtained from  sportscotland.

Freight

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on establishing a freight transport strategy for Scotland.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive plans to hold a freight strategy seminar in the summer, to which key stakeholders will be invited to ensure that the needs of the freight sector are fully considered as national and regional freight transport strategies develop.

Health

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) CT and (b) MRI scanners are in operation across Scotland; when they were commissioned and brought into use; when they will come to the end of their working lives, and when the Executive plans to replace each of them.

Mr Andy Kerr: On the number of CT and MRI scanners in Scotland I refer the member to the answers to questions S2W-11192 on 2 November 2004, and S2W-16171 on 5 May 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/wa.search .

  Information on the dates on which CT and MRI scanners were commissioned and brought into use is not held centrally.

  The replacement of medical equipment, including CT and MRI scanners, is a matter for NHS boards. NHS boards are given an annual capital allocation and it is for them to determine, based on their local knowledge and taking into account other local and national priorities, how these resources should be deployed.

Higher Education

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to help universities co-ordinate the recruitment of overseas students.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive contributes towards the funding for Education UK Scotland. This is a sector-led British Council Scotland initiative which aims to promote Scottish education at all levels in overseas markets, and to facilitate co-operation within and between education sectors. Education UK Scotland run a number of working groups to enable institutions to co-ordinate their efforts to recruit overseas students.

NHS Boards

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to ensure that the provision of health services to remote island communities of the current NHS Argyll and Clyde area after the board is wound up does not result in additional financial pressures for NHS Highland.

Mr Andy Kerr: If responsibility for health services in Argyll and Clyde transfer to NHS Glasgow and NHS Highland, these boards will not be burdened by inherited deficits. The Scottish Executive will write off these deficits.

  In addition, the level of funding to be allocated to each NHS board under the Arbuthnott formula is calculated each year on the basis of each board’s population, weighted to reflect the age and sex profile and the level of ill health and life circumstance in each board’s population and the unavoidable excess costs of delivering services in remote and rural areas. Any changes to the population of NHS Highland would be taken into account in this annual calculation and this would ensure that the level of funding the board receives reflects the relative health care needs of its resident population.

NHS Boards

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to review the structure of NHS boards in future and, if so, when.

Mr Andy Kerr: We have no current plans to review the structure of the Scottish NHS boards.

NHS Equipment

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of demand for MRI scans from NHS patients, with particular reference to the availability of (a) MRI scanning equipment, (b) specialist radiology staff trained in MRI scanning and (c) consultants capable of interpreting the results from MRI scans.

Mr Andy Kerr: On the availability of MRI scanning equipment, I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-16671 on 1 June 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/wa.search .

  As far as the assessment of demand for radiology and consultant staff is concerned, workforce planning arrangements are in place across NHSScotland at national, regional and local levels to ensure that workforce supply meets the needs of future service demand.

NHS Equipment

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time for a DEXA scan has been in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

Mr Andy Kerr: This information is not held centrally. This particular scan does not have a specific code which allows it to be identified from national data.

NHS Equipment

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any mobile DEXA scanners currently in use in Scotland.

Mr Andy Kerr: There are no mobile DEXA Scanners currently in use in Scotland.

NHS Finance

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the per capita health funding in remote and rural areas, including islands, in the current NHS Argyll and Clyde area will be raised prior to any transfer to NHS Highland.

Mr Andy Kerr: If responsibility for health services in remote and rural areas, including islands, of NHS Argyll and Clyde is transferred to NHS Highland then the level of funding to NHS Highland will be calculated under the Arbuthnott formula on the basis of the board’s resident population which will include any residents becoming the responsibility of the board following the redrawing of NHS board boundaries.

NHS Finance

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the per capita health funding for the remote and rural areas of Argyll and Clyde, which are likely to be taken into NHS Highland, will be increased in line with the Arbuthnott formula pertaining to NHS Highland.

Mr Andy Kerr: If responsibility for the health services of residents of the remote and rural areas of Argyll and Clyde is transferred to NHS Highland then the level of funding to NHS Highland will be calculated under the Arbuthnott formula on the basis of the board’s resident population which will include any residents becoming the responsibility of the board following the redrawing of NHS board boundaries.

NHS Finance

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what savings have been made in each NHS board as a result of the mergers of primary care trusts, acute trusts and health boards.

Mr Andy Kerr: The objective of the policy of single system working was to promote seamless care across different sectors of the health service, responsive to the needs of patients, and not to generate financial savings. Nevertheless, savings have been realised as a result of single system working and these are set out in the table. The Executive expects these savings, made through increased efficiency and eliminating duplication of effort, to be reinvested in patient care.

  Table: Financial Savings Derived from Merger of NHS Trusts and Boards

  

NHS Board
2004-05£000


Argyll and Clyde
1,016


Ayrshire and Arran
0


Borders
495


Dumfries and Galloway
604


Fife
173


Forth Valley
250


Grampian
1,228


Greater Glasgow
3,100


Highland
400


Lanarkshire
650


Lothian
1,900


Tayside
800


Total
10,616



  The figures above represent the savings expected to be incurred in financial year 2004-05, i.e. the first full year of single system working across NHSScotland.

NHS Hospitals

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many operations were cancelled in each NHS hospital (a) for medical reasons and (b) because of a lack of beds in each year since 1999.

Mr Andy Kerr: The specific information requested is not available centrally.

  Information on cancelled admissions to hospital is collected but does not specifically identify cancelled operations prior to or during a hospital stay, or the reasons for cancellation. Table 1 shows information on the number of cancellations made by hospitals prior to in-patient and day case admission for the years ending March 1999-2005.

  Table 1: Cancellation of Planned Admissions for In-Patient or Day Case Treatment;

  By NHS Hospital: Years Ending 31 March 1999-2005

  

 
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005P


Scotland
11,218
14,232
16,010
16,136
17,029
15,763
15,766


Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
1,412
1,310
1,435
1,299
1,365
1,260
1,213


Aboyne Hospital
-
5
6
4
-
-
-


Ayrshire Central Hospital
6
-
-
7
3
1
-


Balfour Hospital
7
20
14
7
15
15
22


Belford Hospital
74
18
21
29
40
24
18


Borders General Hospital
287
437
458
348
328
261
339


Caithness General Hospital
4
14
5
6
20
75
55


Campbell Hospital
-
1
-
-
-
-
-


Canniesburn Hospital (closed 31/03/03)
-
-
34
343
366
34
19


Chalmers Hospital
4
11
7
-
6
-
-


City Hospital (closed 28/02/02)
155
152
139
98
-
-
-


Crosshouse Hospital
167
274
170
213
218
224
369


Dr Gray’s Hospital
319
257
314
301
268
281
248


Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary1
220
277
151
98
486
421
421


Dundee Royal Infirmary (closed 31/03/99)
114
-
-
-
-
-
-


Falkirk and District Royal Infirmary
61
109
218
252
263
478
301


Fleming Cottage Hospital
-
-
-
-
2
8
1


Forth Park Hospital
41
65
141
90
62
99
30


Fraserburgh Hospital
-
20
2
-
7
12
9


Garrick Hospital
-
-
-
-
48
-
-


Gilbert Bain Hospital
24
25
17
34
9
2
4


Glasgow Royal Infirmary
756
1,346
1,403
1,903
1,395
562
564


Glen O’Dee Hospital
-
3
1
-
4
1
1


Hairmyres Hospital
50
89
87
266
1,092
1,221
1,167


Inverclyde Royal Hospital
207
203
202
173
304
345
371


Inverurie Hospital
-
45
2
-
-
-
-


Jubilee Hospital
-
3
1
-
3
4
1


Kincardine Community Hospital
-
-
-
-
2
-
1


Law Hospital (closed 29/05/01)
64
136
51
2
-
-
-


Lawson Memorial Hospital
-
14
19
22
11
36
22


Lorn and Islands District Gen Hospital
-
-
4
-
4
1
12


Mackinnon Memorial Hospital
5
3
4
28
11
12
21


Maidencraig House
-
-
-
-
-
1
1


Maud Hospital
-
6
4
2
1
1
-


Monklands Hospital
15
119
159
102
131
192
278


Ninewells Hospital
667
1,201
1,228
868
849
837
842


Perth Royal Infirmary
114
142
134
323
374
270
282


Peterhead Community Hospital
-
49
-
-
-
-
-


Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion
-
-
-
-
-
155
321


Princess Margaret Rose Hospital (closed 31/01/02)
156
131
95
137
-
-
-


Queen Margaret Hospital
467
793
556
587
539
576
716


Raigmore Hospital
666
849
1,032
924
801
1,136
1,442


Ross Memorial Hospital
1
1
-
-
1
-
-


Roxburghe House
-
-
-
-
1
-
-


Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital
131
86
155
97
103
140
108


Royal Alexandra Hospital
544
653
982
791
971
465
367


Royal Hospital for Sick Children
68
90
115
170
209
91
62


Royal Hospital for Sick Children
24
34
53
80
101
158
159


Royal Inf. of Edinburgh at Little France (opened 28/01/02)
-
-
-
2
126
627
607


Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (closed 06/10/03)
953
908
671
790
933
209
-


Seafield Hospital
-
-
-
-
-
-
1


Southern General Hospital1
100
121
121
483
483
418
418


Spynie Hospital
-
-
-
7
19
65
10


St John’s Hospital At Howden
313
436
396
366
477
302
295


Stirling Royal Infirmary
207
337
370
478
341
452
332


Stobhill Hospital
45
107
926
712
381
281
203


Stonehouse Hospital
152
65
90
-
-
-
-


Stracathro Hospital
52
112
116
96
77
78
67


The Ayr Hospital
116
187
204
103
55
18
127


Turner Memorial Hospital
-
3
1
-
-
-
-


Turriff Cottage Hospital
-
27
15
16
20
13
26


Ugie Hospital
-
-
-
-
-
-
1


Uist and Barra Hospital (opened 05/03/01)
-
-
-
-
-
6
-


Vale of Leven District General Hospital
75
184
208
121
201
105
117


Victoria Hospital
2
2
2
5
-
-
2


Victoria Hospital
288
614
379
298
348
513
499


Victoria Infirmary
1,157
1,050
1,109
1,298
1,342
1,354
949


Western General Hospital
569
577
1,221
740
725
958
811


Western Infirmary/Gartnavel General
342
496
732
831
918
706
807


Western Isles Hospital
9
6
10
25
36
64
70


Wishaw General Hospital (opened 25/05/01)
-
-
-
98
78
79
541


Woodend General Hospital
8
9
20
63
56
116
96



  Source: ISD Scotland [From ISD(S)1].

  PProvisional.

  Notes:

  1. Data for Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary for year 2002 and the Southern General for years 2001, 2003 and 2005 is not available. Data for previous years has been used as estimates.

  2. Cancellations previously included with the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

  Planned admissions, for an operation or for any other reason, can be cancelled due to various unforeseen pressures. Some examples of these are; an influx of emergency admissions, widespread staff sickness, theatre equipment failure, infection in wards.

  On occasions, some patients may be sent home, following admission, when a planned procedure/operation has not been carried out. Some reasons for this include; patient being unfit for treatment due to illness (e.g. chest infection), having omitted to fast before admission, failing to follow pre-admission advice on medication or where theatre time is unavailable due to unexpected complications arising in earlier theatre cases.

  The figures in table 1 include cancelled admissions where no operation was planned, e.g. to non-surgical specialties.

  Limited information is available centrally on the number of in-patient/day case episodes where operations/procedures were not carried out following admission. Table 2 shows information on the number of in-patient and day case episodes where operations/procedures were cancelled following admission for contraindication for the years ending March 1999-2005. It is not possible to identify operations/procedures cancelled due to a lack of beds from national information.

  Table 2: Number of In-Patient/Day Case Discharges for Cancelled Operations due to Contraindication1,2,3 by NHS Hospital: Years Ending 31 March 1999-2005

  

NHS Hospital 
Year Ending March 31


1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
Estimated2005P


Scotland
6,446
6,180
6,216
5,595
4,862
5,560
4,743


Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
620
704
710
601
482
464
422


Adamson Hospital
4
-
-
-
-
-
-


Albyn Hospital
-
-
-
-
-
-
2


Ayr Hospital
254
227
256
285
261
339
287


Ayrshire Central Hospital
-
-
1
-
1
-
-


Balfour Hospital
-
6
4
11
8
3
2


Belford Hospital
14
26
22
17
20
34
17


Borders General Hospital
31
48
45
52
44
56
71


Caithness General Hospital
27
29
33
32
26
17
10


Canniesburn Hospital
42
53
50
78
75
84
99


Carrick Glen Hospital
3
-
-
-
-
-
-


City Hospital
19
11
4
21
-
-
-


Crosshouse Hospital
289
300
349
342
314
299
236


Daliburgh Hospital
-
1
1
-
-
-
-


Davidson Cottage Hospital
-
-
-
2
-
-
-


Dr Gray’s Hospital
47
73
87
51
62
74
80


Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary
231
258
222
239
169
161
110


Dundee Royal Infirmary
40
-
-
-
-
-
-


Dunoon and District General Hospital
10
1
-
-
-
-
-


Eastern General Hospital
1
-
-
-
-
-
-


Falkirk and District Royal Infirmary
45
20
28
17
23
39
35


Fernbrae Hospital
-
-
-
-
-
2
2


Forth Park Hospital
8
16
24
16
17
17
15


Fraserburgh Hospital
-
1
-
-
-
-
-


Garrick Hospital
37
33
27
17
6
6
1


Gilbert Bain Hospital
62
41
18
19
6
12
12


Glasgow Dental Hospital and School
-
-
-
1
2
1
-


Glasgow Royal Infirmary
479
397
329
292
312
252
252


Golden Jubilee National Hospital
-
-
-
-
13
69
54


Hairmyres Hospital
199
148
109
167
114
212
201


Inverclyde Royal Hospital
208
206
273
240
165
152
114


Isle of Arran War Memorial Hospital
6
2
3
-
-
2
-


Jubilee Hospital
-
1
-
-
1
-
-


Kings Cross Hospital
2
-
1
-
-
-
-


Law Hospital
248
211
189
26
-
-
-


Lawson Memorial Hospital
6
8
5
8
5
5
8


Lorn and Islands District Gen Hospital
13
5
6
19
15
5
15


Mackinnon Memorial Hospital
5
13
7
9
15
8
7


Monklands Hospital
1
-
2
2
-
-
-


Ninewells Hospital
251
217
209
122
106
126
106


Perth Royal Infirmary
146
138
100
66
65
90
16


Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion
-
-
-
-
-
24
14


Princess Margaret Rose Hospital
26
13
26
17
-
-
-


Queen Margaret Hospital
101
125
157
124
117
164
71


Raigmore Hospital
180
171
138
149
173
151
171


Roodlands General Hospital
29
18
29
22
9
16
11


Ross Hall Hospital
-
-
-
12
3
-
-


Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital
34
47
21
27
27
17
36


Royal Alexandra Hospital
108
82
76
76
101
106
102


Royal Hospital for Sick Children Yorkhill
128
117
117
89
135
133
123


Royal Hospital for Sick Children Edinburgh
22
26
4
8
2
4
2


Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh
88
98
69
96
84
18
-


Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh at Little France
-
-
-
1
23
65
88


Southern General Hospital
139
107
91
186
153
170
76


St Andrews Memorial Hospital
11
17
10
10
3
-
-


Stirling Royal Infirmary
120
140
128
82
23
21
42


St John’s Hospital At Howden
168
171
118
120
123
100
93


Stobhill Hospital
207
158
198
252
211
166
92


Stonehouse Hospital
257
237
299
-
-
-
-


Stracathro Hospital
63
62
47
44
16
10
6


Uist and Barra Hospital
-
-
-
2
1
-
1


Vale of Leven District General Hospital
82
91
88
55
63
48
61


Victoria Hospital
181
158
171
88
99
39
41


Victoria Infirmary
189
188
192
158
93
116
100


Western General Hospital
199
223
223
136
143
136
120


Western Infirmary/Gartnavel General
659
605
799
828
591
1,155
1,041


Western Isles Hospital
19
31
22
32
46
40
48


Wishaw General Hospital
-
-
-
153
198
203
117


Woodend General Hospital
88
101
79
76
98
129
110



  PProvisional.

  Source: ISD Scotland (SMR01). Date: 26/05/2005

  Notes:

  1. These statistics are derived from data collected on discharges from non-obstetric and non-psychiatric hospitals (SMR01) in Scotland.

  2. Cases where the patient was not admitted to hospital are not included.

  3. Up to six diagnoses (one principal, five secondary) are recorded on SMR01 returns. All six diagnoses have been used to identify operations cancelled due to contraindication. The following code was used from the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Other Health Related Problems, tenth revision (ICD10): Z53.0 ; Procedure not carried out because of contraindication. However it should be noted that the use of this code may vary from hospital to hospital.

  4. Complete data for 2004/2005 are not yet available. The currently available record counts have been grossed up to provide an estimate for the actual values.

  5. In some hospitals, the ICD10 code Z53.0 has been used to indicate a planned procedure has been cancelled due to medical reasons. Although coding guidelines indicate that no procedure code should be recorded with an ICD10 code of Z53.0, there is a small number of instances where this rule appears to have been broken. For a high proportion of these, it is believed that the procedure code refers to a procedure other than the one that was cancelled. The majority of these include; scans, blood withdrawal and infusion of therapeutic substance. For completeness these are included in the above table.

  The completeness of recording cancelled operations/procedures across Scotland cannot be fully ascertained, and it is considered that there is, in certain hospitals, some degree of under-recording.

  The information in table 2 does not include operations/procedures cancelled prior to admission.

  Please note that figures in table 2 include all procedures (i.e. include minor procedures that will be carried outwith a theatre setting) and not just major operations.

  Information on the numbers of cancelled operations/procedures that had been planned on an out-patient basis is not centrally available.

  Data for 2004-05 should be regarded as provisional and may contain estimates.

NHS Staff

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many consultant neurologists are currently in post.

Mr Andy Kerr: Within NHS Scotland, the consultant neurologist establishment has increased by 21% between September 2001 and September 2004.

  Information on staff in post in NHS Scotland is published on the Scottish Health Statistics website under Workforce Statistics, at www.isdscotland.org/workforce.

  Section B gives details of medical staff employed in NHS Scotland. In particular, tables B8 and B9 show the whole-time equivalent (WTE) and headcount numbers of consultant neurologists currently in post. WTE adjusts headcount staff figures to take account of part-time staff.

  Latest available figures are at 30 September 2004.

NHS Staff

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many consultant neurologist positions are vacant.

Mr Andy Kerr: At 30 September 2004, within NHS Scotland, there were three whole-time equivalent vacant consultant neurologist posts, none of which had been vacant for more than six months.

  Information on staff in post in NHS Scotland is published on the Scottish Health Statistics website under Workforce Statistics at www.isdscotland.org/workforce.

  Section B gives details of medical staff employed in NHS Scotland. In particular, tables B11 and B12 show the whole-time equivalent and headcount numbers of consultant neurologist vacancies.

  Latest available figures are at 30 September 2004.

NHS Staff

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many consultant neurologist posts are temporary.

Mr Andy Kerr: Information on temporary consultant neurologist posts in NHS Scotland is not collected centrally.

Public Sector

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which of its agencies are regarded as trading fund operations and, in respect of these, what financial targets have been set for financial returns in each of the last five years and how many such targets have been met.

Johann Lamont: Registers of Scotland Executive Agency is the only agency that is regarded as a trading fund operation. Registers of Scotland became a Trading Fund in 1996 and now operates under analogous arrangements established by the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000.

  For each of the last five years Registers of Scotland has been set a target to secure a minimum rate of return on capital employed for the three-year period ending in that year. The rates set for each year were as follows: 6%, 3%, 6%, 15% and 15%. The target has been met in each year, in the latest year provisionally.

Students

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the maximum fee is that a student from outwith the European Union can be charged for applying for the two-year visa extension under the Fresh Talent initiative.

Mr Tom McCabe: The information requested is currently being validated by Scottish Executive officials and the Home Office. I will write to the member as soon as the information is available and will arrange for a copy of my reply to be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Traffic

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is studying, or intends to study, patterns in teleworking and its possible effect on traffic levels.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive has commissioned research to assess the implications of e-working and other information and communication technologies (ICT) on travel behaviour and traffic reduction in Scotland. This research is reaching its final stages and we will consider its findings in due course.

Water Fluoridation

Eleanor Scott (Highlands and Islands) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it provides any financial support to the British Fluoridation Society or other organisations that promote water fluoridation.

Mr Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-12230 on 25 November 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/wa.search .

  To reiterate the British Fluoridation Society (BFS) provides a scientifically based information service about water fluoridation to health authorities and boards; educational establishments; professional organisations; the media’ the general public.

  The Executive does not provide grant assistance to any other organisations with a specific focus on fluoridation.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood Project

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether the Construction Manager has complied in full with the obligation under paragraph 2.3 of Memorandum of Agreement between the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (acting through the Project Director and Sponsor, Holyrood Project Team) and Bovis Construction (Scotland) Limited in connection with the construction of the Scottish Parliament Building at Holyrood Edinburgh , that "all written communications from the Construction Manager to the design team or with any of them shall contemporaneously be copied to the remainder of the Design Team and to the Client".

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether the Construction Manager has undertaken and performed its duties and functions as construction manager as specified in the trade contracts, referred to in paragraph 2.6 of Memorandum of Agreement between the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (acting through the Project Director and Sponsor, Holyrood Project Team) and Bovis Construction (Scotland) Limited in connection with the construction of the Scottish Parliament Building at Holyrood, Edinburgh .

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether the Construction Manager has complied in full with the provisions of paragraph 2.12 of Memorandum of Agreement between the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (acting through the Project Director and Sponsor, Holyrood Project Team) and Bovis Construction (Scotland) Limited in connection with the construction of the Scottish Parliament Building at Holyrood, Edinburgh in respect of immediately notifying the client of any instance of non-compliance with any applicable requirements; if not, whether it will give details, and whether the Construction Manager has ever notified the client of any non-compliance with applicable requirements on the part of other consultants involved in the Holyrood Project.

George Reid: The performance of the Construction Manager and other contractors will be fully considered as part of the finalisation of the Holyrood Project. It would not be possible to provide the information requested separately without disproportionate effort and cost.